by By: Sophie Wenet
I don’t know about you, but I am on social media constantly. I am consistently looking to see what is going on during the breaks in my day. Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, and Twitter all get my attention, but Instagram is my go-to. Everybody uses social media for different reasons. Some use social media for work, or to follow their favorite athletes, celebrities, or musicians, some to connect with friends, and some, like me, follow their favorite brands and bloggers in order to feel connected to the brands the brand and bloggers they are passionate about.
Instagram is a social media platform with very few limitations, and that is a quality that is attractive to me, as well as the visual aspect of the application. I am able to post one picture after another, or use another application to create a collage of multiple photos. In addition, Instagram, in my experience, does not limit the length of the caption. I can tag or mention locations and people, and I can communicate with other Instagram users through comments.
One of the best things that has happened to us Instagram users, is when Facebook bought the application. We are now able to seamlessly share our Instagram photos to Facebook with no changes to the photo or caption, unlike with the share on Twitter as seen in a tweet by fashion blogger Danielle Bernstein of @WeWoreWhat below. The sharing of photos and character number limitations are just some of the reasons it has been difficult to become an avid Tweeter.
Instagram has become one of the largest platforms to discover new fashion trends for fashionisatas like me. Before, we were using magazines, movies, and shop windows, but now, we have celebrities, bloggers, events, shops, brands, and more, all present on one social media platform inspiring us with photos and words.
Instagram: @sophie_bayla
Twitter:@SophieWenet
Pinterest: Sophie Bayla
LinkedIn: Sophie Wenet
Sophie-
I use Instagram all the time too and love it. I love that I can share photos and friends from my hometown and they are able to keep up and stay in contact with me as I can do with them. I definitely think that it is a rising app especially with all the new features it keeps adding after every update. From videos to now being able to swipe right when brands post sponsored pictures, Instagram is definitely becoming more and more interactive and a way for brands to personally connect with their consumers.
Sophie, it was interesting to read your thoughts on Instagram. Instagram, to me, is one of my least favorite social media platforms. While, I’ll admit, I check it daily I hardly ever post pictures. If it weren’t for my friends, I probably wouldn’t have an Instagram account.
I find Twitter and Facebook more effective. I agree with your statement of, “The sharing of photos and character number limitations are just some of the reasons it has been difficult to become an avid Tweeter.” However, I think this is the reason SO many people use Twitter. We all have busy lives and don’t have time to read novel posts. 140 characters allows people to filter through content quickly and essentially get the gist of the message.
I found your last paragraph to be very interesting. You said, ” Before, we were using magazines, movies, and shop windows”, and I’ve never really considered how many physical forms of getting information have been replaced by social media, especially Instagram. I follow glass blowers who make intricate glass art and they regularly hold auctions for their work. Auctions on Instagram. It kinda amazed me.
And I totally agree with your comments on Twitter. I feel it to be a little more restricting and cluttered than other forms of social media. But it is quick and allows for fast access to a multitude of information.
Sophie,
I enjoyed reading your blog post about Instagram. Instagram is also my favorite go-to social media platform because it is visually appealing and pictures are an easy way to send messages to viewers. However, I read this really interesting article about how people can mask their true identities on social media platforms like Instagram. Here is the article if you want to read it: (http://espn.go.com/espn/feature/story/_/id/12833146/instagram-account-university-pennsylvania-runner-showed-only-part-story). Do you think social media use can prompt people to feel this need of inadequacy and as a result portray a false image of who you really are? What do you think?
Sophie,
I completely agree with you. Instagram is by far my favorite social media platform. I think it is interesting to think about how the popularity of Instagram may increase in the following years and brands will start to utilize it more. Even though Facebook is still by far the most popular platform, I think Instagram will change the game of social media within the coming years.
Great post!
Hey Sophie!
Like the most of the other commenters, I too am always on Instagram. I think part of its appeal is the seamless viewing of photos and videos, making it easy to absorb mass amounts of visual information. When Facebook bought Instagram, it was able to seamlessly incorporate the platform into its own. In doing so, Facebook found a way to increase its visual media, which we all know is more likely to be viewed than long, wordy posts. However, we are taught in J412 to NEVER, EVER connect multiple social media accounts to one (i.e., posting your Instagram picture straight to Twitter or Facebook). I wonder if more social platforms bought others and made the integrated posting more seamless to view, would be such an issue to post from one platform onto another?
Great post!
Sophie,
It’s amazing how far Insta has come in the last few years. I remember my freshman year of college when my best friends younger sister introduced me to it, not entirely sure of what the app was and using it more for adding filters to my pictures than for a follower count. Its unreal the kind of community that has been created over twitter for so many people. Its a way for bloggers to reach out to so many more followers, and for brands to sell their products. I can’t tell you how many jewelry, fashion and beauty IG accounts I follow or have come across and have bought products from. It really is endless the amount of connections this simple app can make and I don’t see it slowing down or going anywhere anytime soon.
I completely agree with you about Instagram! It’s one of those apps where I’ll be scrolling through and then close the app and two minutes later open it back up waiting for more posts. Because I’m a video blogger I’ve been using it to connect with other beauty bloggers and try and get my photos likes through the use of hashtags. For me, it’s all about making connections and relationships versus someone who might just use it to share and post personal photos.
Sophie,
I enjoyed hearing your insights and opinions on Instagram as a social network. I have never created an Instagram account because I’ve viewed it as redundant to Facebook. The reason for this is that I just couldn’t think of any additional attributes that make it worthwhile but your blog post explained its benefits in a clear and easily digestible way. I also was not aware that Facebook had bought Instagram, but I can definitely see now why they would make that business move. Thanks for giving me a look into the positive attributes of having an Instagram account.
Sophie,
I have to agree, Instagram is hands down my favorite platform. I think I am attracted to its simplicity and visual appeal. I love how organized each page is. You can really get a feel for a person and brand – at least a feel for their curated self. Loved your insight on how Instagram is replacing magazines, etc for inspiration. Do you use Pinterest as well?
Great post.
By the way, I just followed you on Instagram!
Sophie,
All your points are extremely valid. Instagram is a close second to Twitter for me (because I’m a sports nut so I need constant information). It’s a great way for fans and consumers to connect with family, friends, companies, athletes and celebrities. The visual appeal of Instagram gives people a feel for people and what they are about.
-Mike
@mikeeiden11
I love having watched Instagram rise to where it is now, and from its beginnings. Peoples’ pictures used to be blurry and not very quality, in general. Today, these same people, however, seem to have started honing individual styles and aesthetics- and have gotten much better at capturing something clearly. Love scrolling through my timeline daily and getting a little something different from each account. Companies are working the same now, too, strengthening their brands through visual consistencies.
Interesting post! Instagram is one of those apps that sits in my app graveyard, where it goes unused. I already find it hard to keep up with Facebook and Twitter, but this post makes me want to retry Instagram. I think it’s definitely unique in how you can express yourself through the use of photos instead of mostly words on this particular channel!